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Happy Victoria Day.

A Canadian Forces Snowbirds plane crashed in Kamloops, B.C. on Sunday, killing one member of the air force and seriously injuring another.

The flight was part of cross-country displays designed to boost morale and show support for workers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces confirmed that Captain Jennifer Casey, a public-affairs officer, was killed in the crash. Captain Richard MacDougall, the plane’s pilot, sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

Casey, who was originally from Halifax, joined CAF in August 2014 and worked as a public affairs officer at 8 Wing Trenton, then the CF-18 Demo Team. Prior to her career with the Forces she spent several years working in broadcast radio in Halifax and Belleville, according to the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Governor General Julie Payette, Canada’s Commander-in-Chief, published a statement on Sunday saying she was “devastated” by Casey’s death.

“To the Royal Canadian Air Force, the military Public Affairs Branch, and the entire Canadian Armed Forces community, Canada stands with you today and in the days to come,” Payette’s statement says. “You are in our hearts.”

The first Canadian clinical trial for a potential vaccine for COVID-19 has been approved by Health Canada. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on the weekend that the Canadian Center for Vaccinology at Dalhousie University has been approved to begin trials of a candidate produced by a Chinese research team. Trudeau said National Research Council of Canada will be working with the company, CanSino Biologics, to produce and distribute the vaccine “here at home” if its proven to be successful, Global News reported.

Another vaccine that’s in the process of being tested in people appears to be safe and capable of stimulating an immune response against the virus, its manufacturer Moderna announced Monday. It’s shown promise in the first eight people it was tested in. The New York Times provides more details.

On Friday, Trudeau announced the federal government would provide $450 million in support for Canada’s scientific research community, as institutions have had to shelve projects as focus within the community has shifted to COVID-19. The government will provide up to 75 per cent of eligible staff member’s pay, capped at $847 per week – to mirror the coverage of the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS), to institutions who couldn’t access other financial aid programs. Victoria Gibson has more details.

CEWS, meanwhile, will be extended until the end of August. That update was also shared by Trudeau on Friday. Jolson Lim reported more.

And, a new report from Food Secure Canada says the pandemic has exposed weaknesses in the industrial food production model, which suggests Canada should invest more in localized food systems. Rachel Emmanuel has more details.

Chinese President Xi Jinping told the governing body of the World Health Organization on Monday that his country would support a “comprehensive review” of its handling of COVID-19. Xi, who spoke via video conference at the start of a meeting of the World Health Assembly, said an investigation must be “objective and impartial” and promised to provide the United Nations $2 billion to help the global response to the pandemic. More than 120 countries, including Canada, have backed a draft resolution calling for an inquiry into the origins of the new coronavirus. (The Guardian)

Italy and Spain, two of the countries hardest hit by the pandemic, are among a number of European countries further easing lockdown restrictions on Monday. Most businesses in Italy, including bars, cafes, hairdressers and shops, are allowed to reopen in Italy today, as long as social distancing is enforced. Up to 10 people in Spain can now meet together as long as they wear masks and socially distance, while social settings like bars, restaurants, museums and movie theatres can open at reduced capacity. (BBC News)

In the United States, a $500 billion fund created in March to help stabilize the economy has barely lent any money, according to a report issued by an oversight committee. The fund has yet to fill its chairman role, which House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell are required to agree on. (Washington Post)